The 20-year-old Brazilian managed to increase his GC buffer on Friday.
Fabiole, Ravet, Col de Joux and Col d’Arnaz were the four climbs that peppered the course of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta stage two, which travelled from Hône to Forte di Bard, over 147.5 kilometers. As if these weren’t enough, the finale consisted of a small unranked ascent - 1.5 kilometers in length and averaging 7% - featuring a cobbled section that promised to spice things up.
Leader of the general classification following his stage 1 victory, Henrique was determined to retain the yellow jersey, and thanks to a strong support from his team and another solid showing, he managed to do that at the end of the day. Soudal Quick-Step Devo had Gauthier Servranckx and Marc Zafra in the main breakaway, from which the duo dropped not far from the finish to help their Brazilian teammate. Their work wasn’t for nothing, as the last guys in the breakaway were caught thanks to their effort on the early slopes of the medieval climb.
Bravo still had Said Cisneros with him, and the Mexican pulled hard to stretch the group and make a selection before Henrique launched a powerful acceleration that left just three riders at the front. On the steep and technical final kilometer, which numbered a total of 14 corners, Henrique showed again his quality to take third place and extend his lead in the overall standings.
First of all, I want to thank my amazing teammates, because without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.
“They did a great job today, protected me and were of great help as we took on the final hurdle of the stage. It was a difficult but at the same time beautiful climb, and I’m content with what I could do there. Third is a good result, but the most important thing is that we kept the yellow jersey”, Henrique explained at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Giro della Valle d'Aosta
